The Department of Agriculture and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources are taking steps to save a key tool used against illegal fishing after a recent Supreme Court ruling. The high court recently declared Fisheries Administrative Order No. 266 unconstitutional, effectively striking down the requirement for commercial fishing vessels to install tracking devices and submit electronic catch reports.
In response to the ruling, fishery officials confirmed they will file a motion for reconsideration asking the Supreme Court to re-evaluate the decision. The government plans to highlight that commercial fishing licenses are a regulatory privilege rather than an absolute right, meaning operators must abide by state rules to protect public resources.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. expressed confidence that the high court will reconsider its position. He emphasized that an electronic monitoring system is the most effective way to address illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, far outperforming traditional manual reporting methods.
According to fishery regulators, the tracking technology serves as a cornerstone for modern enforcement rather than just a simple location logger. The system allows authorities to enforce seasonal fishing bans, protect critical fish breeding areas, improve catch traceability, and generate reliable data for scientific management.
Beyond local conservation efforts, the government warns that losing this technology creates broader policy and economic challenges. As a signatory to international maritime agreements, the country relies on robust monitoring to meet strict sustainability and traceability standards, which are required to maintain access to major overseas export markets.
